Grip member



(D) D AMETER INCHES .650 700 .750 .800 .850 .900 .950

Feb. 12, 1957 T. o. BRANDON 2,781,196

GRIP MEMBER Filed May 15. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l (d) DISTANCE FRoMToP OF GRIP- INCHES II ll 11 214 .2 V2 V2 V2 V2 '/2 '/2 0-0 0.] 0-2. 0.3 0.4- 0.5 .480 .512 .541 .567 .590 .612 MAX. P8P; Mo 5116111 15514, MIN. .860 .964- .950 .957 .925 .915 .932 .621 .911 .902 .893 .886 .889 .882 .876 .876 .864- .860 .850 .847 .844 .841 .838 .837 .815 .815 .815 .815 .815 .515 .783 .786 .789 .792 .794 .796 .754 .760 .766 .770 .774 .778 .728 .737 .744 .751 .756 .763 .705 .715 .725 .735 .741 .748 .683 .696 .707 .718 .726 .755 INVENTOR .664 78 .692 .703 .715 .724- .646 .663 .677 .690 .702 -7l3 7/70/7760 ONE/vandal? ATTORNEYS :3 Feb. 12, 1957 'r. o. BRANDON 2,731,196

GRIP MEMBER Filed May 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1.000 L000 1.000 1 00 A000 L000 L000 Adan 1.000 L000 1.000 6000' IN VE NTOR Thomas ,0. Brando/w BY I i 1 (1.1 M W "NM-.I- ATTORNEYS 2,781,195 il atented Feb. 12, 1957 GRIP MEMBER Thomas 0. Brandon, Longmeadow, Mass., assignor 'to A. G. Spalding & Bros., Inc., Chicopee, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application May 15, 1953, serial No. 355,235

3 Claims. 01. z7s-s1.s

This invention relates to a tapered grip member and more particularly to a grip member for an athletic implement having a natural taper to provide for the proper gripping of and the control of the implement in use.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, a grip is herein disclosed as applied to a golf club shaft. Heretofore tapered grips have been formed but there has been no uniformity or control of the tapers so as to provide a relationship between grips on various clubs and between various types of tapers as may be required to produce the desired natural feel and playing characteristics for the club.

-The present invention overcomes this difliculty by providing means whereby the desired natural taper on grips providing the required playing characteristics may be predetermined and formed uniformly and accurately.

I have discovered that, by properly correlating and controlling the taper onthe grip, the play of the club can be affected without destroying the natural feel. It is known that when a maximum taper is employed this makes the grip in the left hgnd relatively larger. This induces a tighter grip by the left hand than by the right hand which results in a tendency to reduce'hooking of the shotwhereas when aminimum taper is. used a relatively tighter grip in the right hand is induced in the hitting area which results in a tendency to reduce slicing of the shot. By varying the taper between muimum and minimum tapers shifting the tightness of the grip from hand to hand can be controlled so that the required playing characteristics can be obtained.

This correlating and control of the club is accomplished, according to the present invention, without destroying the natural taper for the grip, by making the tapered surface in accordance with a hyperbolic formula wherein the diameter of the grip at predetermined distances from the top of the grip can be readily determined. By varying the factors in the formula, grips of different diameters can be provided with proper tapers ranging from a maximum to a minimum taper to produce the desired playing characteristics.

The tapered grip of the present invention may be mounted coaxially with respect to the shaft or have its axis oifset with respect to the shaft and alter the club center of gravity, all as required.

feature of the invention resides in the fact that with this formula, knowing the desired playing characteristics for the club, the proper taper for the type of grip desired can be quickly, accurately and easily determined.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 3 shows a tapered grip made in accordance with the invention.

' Fig. 4 shows a tapered grip mounted in offset relation.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the grip of Fig. 4.

I have discovered that the playing characteristics of the club can be accurately controlled if the grip is given a natural taper in accordance with the present invention. This not only. includes the provision of the proper diameter of the grip for the best gripping action but also by regulating thediameter and taper of the grip I have been able to alter the playing characteristics of the golf club by providing correctivefactors where necessary to improve the swing characteristic and reduce the tendency of the player to hook or slice the shots.

In accordance with the present invention the required natural taper for theplaying characteristic and type of grip can be readily ascertained. I have discovered that the proper taper on a grip may be determined by the hyperbolic formula: D=ye -|-C. In this formula D represents the diameter of the grip in inches; y represents the fractional distribution of the grip material about the shaft center line and in the example given equals oneha1f;.e is a constant 2.71828; d represents the distance in inches from the top of the grip to the diameter being computed; C represents a constant determined from the particular gripsize used and x represents a variable determining the type of taper for the grip. For example, I have found that 2: should be equal to 0.0 for a maximum tapered grip;.0.1 for a moderately-full taper; 0.2 for a moderate taper; 0.3 for a slight taper; 0.4 for a very slight taper and 0.5 for a minimum taper. The constant C is established by the requirements of the player. If a player wants a grip to have a predetermined diameter at two inches from the top, the formula would be worked out for that diameter and the constant C determined. This constant is then used in the formula to determine the diameter D of the grip at various other points at difierent distances :1 from the top of the grip.

.--..This relatioriship can best be seen from the graph of 'Fig. I having as coordinates the diameter of the grip D and the distance from the end of the grip d. The curves are based on the formula and show the relation between various tapers for a single club. The club illustrated in the graph, it will be noted, is one having a diameter D of .815 inch at a distance of four inches from the top of the grip and all of the tapers will satisfy this requirement.

The chart of Fig. 2 shows the numerical values of the various diameters for the grip shown in the graph of Fig. 1 so that it can be readily determined from the chart the difference in relative size of the various grips at the same distance from the top. For example, for a club having the material uniformly distributed about the shaft so that one-half is above the axis of the shaft and one-half is below the axis of the shaft so that y= /2, the maximum taper is .980 inch in diameter at the top as compared to .664 at the bottom, Whereas the minimum taper has a top diameter of only .915 and has a base diameter of .724.

Since the taper of the club is determined by the. factors making up the playing characteristics of the club, in accordance with the predetermined relationship as expressed by the hyperbolic formula, it will be readily apparent that the required taper for each can be accurately and readily obtained.

Fig. 3 shows a tapered grip 10 mounted on shaft 11 and made in accordance with the present invention as applied to a grip of smaller diameter than that illustrated in the graph and chart of Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noted from the diameters at one inch intervals, however, that the natural taper of the grip follows a predetermined relationship as is set up by the formula.

is concentric with the shaft while in the form shown in Fig. 4 the tapered grip a having a gripping rib 12 at the bottom thereof is mounted in ofiset relation to the shaft 11a which provides for an additional adjustment in the playing characteristics of the club. In the preferred offset, the grip is so arranged on the shaft as to be concentric .with the shaft at the inner end of the grip as shown in dot and dash lines of Fig. 5. As seen in the end view of Fig. 5, the outer end is displaced so that the center line of the shaft extends upwardly and forwardly with respect to the center line of the grip as shown in solid lines in .Fig. 5. Even though the grip is thus offset with respect to the shaft, the tapers remain the same so that the playing characteristics, insofar as the taper is concerned, will remain in the same relation. The ofiset, however, tends to dispose a greater part of the grip material below and to the rear of the shaft so as to shift the center of gravity of the club and consequently alter the playing characteristics of the club.

While the foregoing illustration has been made in connection with a molded, one piece grip for a golf club, it is to be understood that the same formula and principles are applicable to a wrap grip with the wrapping providing the taper or in grip foundations wherein a leather or other material is wrapped over the foundation to provide a gripping surface thereon. the grip used in determining C would be that of the foundation and not of the outside grip, with allowance being made for the thickness of the wrapping.

Though the grip member of the present invention has been disclosed herein as being applied to a golf club, it is to be understood that it will provide a natural taper for and can be applied to any athletic implement or the like in which a tapered grip is required.

Variations and modifications may be madewithin the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A grip of substantially circular cross-section and having a predetermined uniformlytapered gripping surface from end to end and having a bore adapted to be mounted on a shaft, said grip having a length to receive both hands of a player in alignment longitudinally of the shaft and having the center line of the grip and that of In the latter case the diameter of c 4. 1 the bore therethrough coinciding at the inner end of the grip and the center lines of the bore and grip relatively laterally displaced at the outer end of the grip.

2. A golf club comprising a shaft, a grip mounted on said shaft, said grip being of a length to receive both hands of a player in alignment longitudinally of the shaft and being of circular cross-section and uniformly, tapered for the full length thereof and positionedcon said shaft with the center lines of the shaft and grip intersecting adjacent the inner end of the grip and the shaft extending upwardly and forwardly with respect to the centerline of the grip for the full length thereof thereby offsetting the body of the grip downwardly and rearwardly of the center line; of

the shaft. 7 I I a 3. A grip adapted to be mounted on a shaft and being of circular cross-section and having a length to receive both hands of a player in alignment longitudinally of the shaft, said grip having a natural, uniformly tapered gripping surface for the full length thereof and formed in accordance with the formula, D=ye" +C wherein D represents the diameter of the grip in inches; y equals one-half and represents the fractional displacement of the grip material about the shaft center line; e is a constant 2.71828; d represents the distance in inches from the top of the grip to the diameter being computed; C represents a constant determined for the particular grip size used and x represents a variable controlling the type of taper for the grip, said grip having a bore to receive a shaft with the center lines of the bore and grip intersecting adjacent the inner end of the grip and the bore extending upwardly and forwardly with respect to the centerline of the grip for the full length thereof and adapted to offset the body.

of the grip downwardly and rearwardly of the shaft.

480,084 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1938 

